teamLab on its immersive resonating microcosms at maison&objet 2022

TEAMLAB ENCOURAGES MAISON&OBJET VISITORS TO INTERACT WITH THEIR RESONATING MICROCOSMS

Following its debut in 2015, international art collective teamLab returns for the third time to Maison&Objet with an immersive installation titled Resonating Microcosms – Solidified Light Color. Set within a dark room, the installation features an infinitely-expanding space filled with glowing ovoids that emit colors and sounds when visitors interact with them in a poetically choreographed manner.

On the occasion of Maison&Objet Spring 2022, designboom met with Ghani (Masato Takeuchi), teamLab’s Art Exhibition team Catalyst, who discussed what teamLab has been up to, the installation at the Parisian trade show, and why they believe in a borderless world.

Ghani (Masato Takeuchi), teamLab’s Art Exhibition team Catalyst
Portrait © designboom

BLURRING THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN THE SELF AND THE WORLD

Those who have experienced a teamLab installation know how their exhibitions transcend the notions of an ordinary art show. Inviting a sense of self-reflection and active participation, the Resonating Microcosms – Solidified Light Color installation encourages guests to interact with the ovoids, creating a direct relationship — one without borders — between the artwork and humans.

‘During the Covid-19 period we did a lot of things both abroad and in Japan; honestly, we just didn’t want to stop,’ shares Ghani while we entered the space. ‘For example, we created this installation one year ago in Tokyo for the teamLab Planets exhibition. For that particular show we had two different gardens: one indoors and one outdoors. For the indoor garden, we installed the Floating Flowers, and for the outside one, we created the Resonating Microcosms, which we have brought to Maison&Objet.’

The difference between the Tokyo and the Paris installations is, the first one is outdoors, and the second indoors. But the intention remains the same — blurring the boundaries between the self and the world.

Image © AETHION

Once inside the space, a calm, ambient music envelops the whole experience while free-stand ovoids light-up, emitting 61-newly defined solidified light colors, as teamLab calls them. ‘Each ovoid contains a universe inside,’ Ghani continues. ‘They all have a mirrored-coating, making them half-transparent and half-reflective, creating a mesmerizing effect inside them — a phenomenon of new colors. What is happening in reality is that the colors are not really mixing together. For example, when you’re working with RGB and mix red and green, you’ll get yellow. But you can see here it doesn’t mix completely. You have the red and the green, and they blend a bit, but are not mixed completely.’

Image © AETHION

The self-standing ovoids work in such way that once a visitor interacts with one by touching and moving it, the ovoid reacts and changes color. This reaction is replicated throughout the whole space, from the closest one, all the way to the furthest one — just like a domino effect.

‘Each ovoid has 12 LEDs, sensors, and its own sound,’ Ghani explains. ‘When you move them, the sound acts the same way as the light does, creating a sort of echo.’

As the ovoids transform according to the different interactions, visitors melt into the space, liberating the art from the physical boundaries. Inside teamLab’s installations, one is the other and the other is one, existing in continuity.

‘But why do we want to make these giant exhibitions like teamLab Borderless abroad? What we are trying to do is to completely erase the borders from these exhibitions,’ Ghani concludes. ‘For example, if we have something like a network, we can have these exhibitions connect with each other. If a kid does a sketch of a fish in Tokyo, it can be projected in Shanghai. The beauty of teamLab lies in connection.’

Moss Garden of Resonating Microcosms – Solidified Light Color, Sunrise and Sunset teamLab, 2021, Interactive Digital Installation, Endless, Sound: Hideaki Takahashi © teamLab